Caring for Cut Christmas Trees

Bringing Your Christmas Tree Home

Cut Christmas trees bring delight to families when celebrating the holidays. To make certain that your tree maintains its freshness throughout your holiday season, there are a few simple steps to take:

When you purchase your tree at Burke Nursery & Garden Centre, a fresh cut is made on the bottom of the tree and the tree is wrapped in plastic netting to protect it from any drying winds as you travel back home. If you plan on putting up your tree within two hours after purchasing it, you don’t need to make another cut at the bottom. However, if you won’t put up your Christmas tree for several hours, store it in a cool, shady location, and in a bucket of water. When you do bring the tree into your house to decorate it, you’ll need to make a fresh cut at the bottom.

Using the right tree stand is important. You’ll need a stand that can provide one quart of water per inch of stem diameter. The tree absorbs a lot of water and you need to make sure you’re keeping the tree stand full of water, especially the first week that you have the tree. A tree with a 4-inch diameter will absorb at least a gallon of water a day. There are popular tree preservatives. And, you may want to consider a tree skirt that is also a removal bag. This type of tree skirt will make it easy to dispose of your tree at the end of the season.

Some Safety Tips

• To keep you home safe, make sure that you keep the tree away from fireplaces, heaters, and heat vents as these areas can dry out your tree. Even direct sunlight will have a drying effect on the tree.
• Always check your electric lights and their connections to make certain you don’t have any frayed wires, broken or cracked sockets, or loose connections. If your lights are damaged, throw those out and purchase a new set. And, if you need to use an extension cord, make certain the cord is rated for the intended use.
• When you decorate your tree, use non-combustible or flame-resistant materials.
• Never use any open flames on your Christmas tree as decorations.
• Be sure to turn off any lights on your Christmas tree when you leave the house.
• And, continue to water the Christmas tree on a daily basis.